Obituary of Alice Marcella “Marcie” Williams

Marcie Williams, age 92, died peacefully in her sleep at Panorama City, Lacey, on April 18, 2014. As she wished, her constant cat companion, Dandelion, was at her side. In addition to Dandelion, she is survived by her daughters, Patricia Williams (Anthony Harding) of Nova Scotia, Polly (Bob) Lewis of Alaska, and Mary Williams of Olympia; grandchildren, Sarah Lewis (Jason Skaggs) and Craig Lewis; and great grandchildren, Max and Norah Skaggs, all of Alaska. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon S. Williams; sister, Ruth Margaret “Margi” Ulrich; parents, Alice and Charles Jeans; and son-in-law, Dan Montgomery. Mom was born in Everett, Washington, and grew up in rural Whatcom County, where her father managed logging camps for Bloedel-Donovan. She attended a two-room school in Saxon, where she was a member of the boys’ baseball and basketball teams. Her athletic prowess continued at Mt. Baker High School in Deming, where she received four stripes on her maroon and black letterman sweater, even though she attended Mt. Baker High for only three years. Her final year of high school was at Raymond, where her father was logging superintendent of the Weyerhaueser Company Willipa Harbor Lumber Mills. Mom entered the University of Washington in September 1939 and joined the Tri-Delta sorority, where her sister Margi was already a member. Her athletic skills in college continued as a member of the University’s rifle team. Mom met our Dad, Gordy Williams, there at UW. In 1943, a few days after she graduated with a BS in Home Economics, they were married in a double ceremony with her sister, Margi and Russell Ulrich. Dad shipped off to the South Pacific at the end of the summer. While Dad was at war, Mom worked part time in the “Dorothy Neighbors” department of the Seattle Times, where she answered questions about converting favorite recipes and generally helped readers deal with the realities of war-time food rationing. After Dad was transferred to the Coast Guard station in San Francisco toward the end of WWII, Mom joined him. They returned to Seattle in early 1946 and moved into their Lake City home. Their three daughters, Patty, Polly, and Mary, were born while they lived there. In 1956, the family moved to Clyde Hill, where they had built a home on a lot with a view of Seattle and the Olympic Mountains. In both homes, Mom and Dad cultivated large vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and many varieties of berries, which went a long way to feeding the family. The gardens also included many rhododendrons and other flowers, which were shown off at the Clyde Hill Home and Garden Tour in the 1960s. Mom put her home economics training to good use, canning hundreds of jars of fruit and vegetables (beans, peaches, pears, applesauce, pickles, etc). Produce was picked daily to ensure that the highest quality of food was preserved. She insisted that the family must have at least 52 quarts of garlic dill pickles every year, one quart for every week of the year. Mom was an expert seamstress and tailor, and she made many clothes for herself and daughters. She especially enjoyed using material that she had purchased on her travels, including Harris tweed from Scotland and beautiful silks from Asia. She taught her daughters many homemaking skills, including how to preserve food, cooking, and sewing. Family vacations were mainly spent in the mountains, beginning with picnics at Denny Creek and Mount Rainier. As the girls grew older, they began camping at Lake Kachess and White River, then backpacking in the Cascades. A favorite hiking location was the Wonderland Trail. Summerland is an especially memorable destination. Mom’s rural upbringing and athletic attributes gave her many skills that served her in good stead on family camping trips; she always caught the most fish and could start a fire in any weather. Later Mom and Dad bought a canoe and paddled up mountain lakes to camp in the wilderness. While Mom did not hold paid employment after WWII, she devoted many hours to building her community. When her oldest daughter joined Bluebirds, Mom became the adult leader. Even after her girls completed high school and their own Campfire Girl involvement, Mom remained committed to the organization and served on Seattle King County Council and National Council of Camp Fire Girls for several years. In 1964, she received the highest honor Campfire bestows to a volunteer, the Luther Halsey Gulick award. During the 1970s, Mom was active in the American Red Cross and served on the board of the King County Chapter as well as the National Board. Through the King County Chapter of Red Cross, Mom chaired King County’s effort to publicize the (then) new Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) program. She also volunteered at a Seattle child care center, helped with a food bank, and tutored women seeking their GEDs. In 1973, she became a volunteer with the Marymoor Museum in Redmond. For many years, she was their photo archivist and worked with schools and business that wanted historic photos, in addition to sorting, cataloguing, and preserving the collection. She served on the Marymoor Board for several years and as acting Director for over a year. In 1960, Mom made the first of many trips with Dad when he travelled for business. Her first trip was to Europe–Scotland, England, France and the Netherlands. She brought back many treasures to share with her daughters, including Delft-ware egg cups in the shape of chickens, now owned by her granddaughter. Later she accompanied Dad to the Far East and, on one occasion, on an around-the-world trip when they visited Afghanistan six months before the Russian invasion. During her entire married life, Mom was hostess for Dad’s aviation friends and colleagues. She planned and cooked meals for many foreign aviation journalists or airline public relations personnel who were in town to visit the Boeing Company; they always appreciated a home-cooked meal. One memory from the early 60s during such a dinner is a man from Germany who was very intrigued with the kitchen appliances. He stated that the dishwasher was just as important to him as the Boeing airplane. Dad died in 1985. Mom carried on, keeping up the garden and remaining active in community organizations. She continued to enjoy travelling. She took advantage of Elder Hostel to visit France and various parts of the United States. She travelled to Alaska to see her grandchildren, and several times met Patty and Anthony in England and in France to explore those countries. She also travelled to California to visit her sister and brother-in-law, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend. In 1997, she sold the family home with its large garden in Clyde Hill and moved to Panorama City in Lacey, Washington, with her cat, Simie, in order to be closer to her youngest daughter, Mary, and her husband, Dan Montgomery. At Panorama, she gardened the area around her duplex, volunteered at the Thurston County Food Bank, and served on Panorama’s Resident Council. In the fall of 2012, she moved to the assisted living area of Panorama with her cat, Dandelion. Mom was thrilled to meet her youngest great-grandchild, Norah, in early April. The wonderful and gracious staff at the Panorama Assisted Living Facility, as well as Assured Hospice, provided gentle and loving care. Mom’s strength and determination were evident until the very end of life. The day before she passed, Mary told her that she had planted chard, carrots, and beets the day before. After some hesitancy, Mom said, “When I get well, I want to see your garden.” She dozed for a minute, then woke, saying, “…and sit on your patio.” Please leave memories of Alice or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.